SAFETY VS FREE SPEECH — Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is concerned for university students missing out on graduation … but not as concerned as she is about safety. “I feel very bad about that for the USC students. And I am hoping that at least they will be able to have the graduation for their individual schools,” Bass told Playbook today, referencing the University of Southern California’s decision to call off its main commencement. The school initially canceled the address of a pro-Palestinian valedictorian — citing safety concerns — before scrapping the university-wide commencement altogether earlier this month, due to rising Gaza protests. But while USC and other schools like the University of California Los Angeles grapple with ongoing campus tensions, Bass said academic and city leaders have to focus on safety. “I think this has been very challenging for the campuses. And I think that they have been doing the best that they can, you know, how do you navigate an issue that is so volatile that can be very divisive in a way that presents an opportunity for future dialogue,” Bass said. “The number one job of both the college president and the chancellor is to keep the students safe, as it is my number one job in the city.” Bass’ remarks come as she visits Washington with other mayors to advocate for local issues, all while national attention has turned to unrest sweeping college campuses across the country. Gov. Newsom last week said: “We’re very mindful of what’s going on in the campuses and want to maintain people’s rights and protests, at the same time do so peacefully without any hate.” — Melanie Mason OPIOID OPTIONS — The Newsom administration announced today that the state’s pharmaceutical initiative, CalRx, has signed a deal with the manufacturer Amneal to offer the state cheaper versions of medications used to reverse an opioid overdose. The move is part of California’s ongoing efforts to address the opioid crisis and increase access to care. Under the deal, two doses of naloxone would be available to schools, government entities, harm reduction programs and businesses for $24. That’s more than 40 percent cheaper than the current buying price for the state. Next month, that cheaper naloxone will be ready under Amneal’s label, and by the summer it will start being produced under a California-branded generic label. “We've enabled, through CalRx, the manufacturing of a low cost, [over the counter] naloxone option that without us may not have come to market this quickly or at this volume,” Secretary of Health and Human Services Mark Ghaly said in a press briefing today. — Rachel Bluth ‘HOUSING KILLER’ — State Sen. Nancy Skinner’s bill barring any intentional use of toxic so-called forever chemicals faced an unusual opponent today at the Senate Appropriations Committee. The California Building Industry Association testified that the bill is a “housing killer.” The objection was notable given Skinner’s history as a champion of denser housing development. CBIA’s president, Dan Dunmoyer, separately told POLITICO that Skinner is “one of the most helpful to housing in California.” “We only label things a housing killer if it's one of our top priorities to get fixed or defeated,” Dunmoyer said after the hearing. He added that nearly all of the products used in building homes contain forever chemicals, aka PFAS. Dunmoyer said it would be impractical to ban every instance of PFAS but would be on board with minimizing their use. He added that the CBIA aims to work as closely as possible with Skinner to find a solution in “a manner that is practical.” — Ariel Gans | 
